Amazing Luminous Handcrafted Ceramics Of This Ceramic Artist Are Simply Exquisite

Ceramics never fail to impress. From the times of Chinese Ming vases to the present day, ceramics have held a special place in the hearts of lovers of ceramic ware. Annie Quigley has carried this art forward through her website, Quigley Ceramics.

Quigley creates luminous delicately-carved ceramic décor that requires both expertise and patience. Her inspiration comes from her frequent travels around the world, where she discovers the ceramic art of the countries she visits. For example, she has been inspired by the Islamic plaster works of the Alhambra in Spain, the Italian cathedral’s stained-glass windows, and even the light flickering through the redwoods in Yosemite.

Quigley’s process involves throwing a piece on the potter’s wheel and trimming it the next day. Carving of that piece starts after a few days. Once the carving is over, she applies a sponge and paintbrush on every cut to smooth the clay. The piece is then consigned to the furnace for two 24-hour firings and glazing.

According to her, this ancient technique is not easy, since it frequently results in cracks and warping. And it’s the most time consuming, too. Some pieces take months to finish. Her ceramic wares include vases, mugs, cups, bowls, plates and even pendants.

Of course, Quigley’s masterful execution usually brings magical results! Her aim in creating her ceramic art is always to bring joy and light into every home. So, it’s not surprising that her products have become prized possessions of people who buy them.

Quigley never wanted to be a ceramic artist. All she wanted was to be an actor. However, she had to take up the potter’s wheel to de-stress from the frustrations encountered in the film industry. The wheel throwing ignited the dormant artist in her and she took ceramic art full time. Today, her works are being appreciated on the internet and selling like hotcakes.








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#unfollowtortus Last fall an Instagram famous potter came to the Ceramics Studio where I teach wheel throwing. He gave two workshops and took participants’ cash in advance – with the agreement that he would split it 50-50 with the studio. During the workshop he was arrogant, entitled, and rude. At the time, I certainly was disappointed since potters tend to be warm, generous, and down to earth. (It’s hard to take yourself too seriously when your medium is mud. ) But no matter how distasteful I found his persona, he didn’t do anything substantial enough to shout it to the rooftops. I also was, admittedly, excited to take one of his large demo pieces, carve it, and use it for publicity at the studio. THEN he disappeared without paying the studio. It took over six months, countless emails, several unanswered DMs, and finally, threats that we would post on Instagram before he finally payed. In the last couple days it has come to light that he’s used his power and influence to intimidate and harass women, business owners, and his own followers for years. We’ve all been too scared to face his following and his vitriol. There’s a movement to reveal the truth about him and his business practices. I kept looking at this piece on the bisque shelf. It felt dirty having it around any longer. CRASH

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One more shadow picture before I move on to finished work. Just did a glaze fire yesterday and dying to see the results today. If you’ve never done Ceramics, when you fire up the kiln with your finished pieces, you slowly increase the temperature over a number of hours (6-12 depending on what you’re doing). In my case it goes past 2,000 degrees F. Then you have to let it cool slowly slowly slowly so that your work doesn’t shatter from thermal shock. No opening the lid and taking a peak! The cool down period can take 12-36 hours depending on how much stuff you have packed in there. Honestly, it’s torture!!! You’re desperate to see your work but you know that if you’re impatient you’ll ruin it!

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Annie Quigley: Website | Instagram

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